KEEN is Focused on Getting Forever Chemicals Out of Footwear

PSIA-AASI Official Supplier KEEN is known for its high-performance hiking shoes, sandals, and American built work footwear.

But the brand is also making significant efforts to remove fluorinated compounds known as PFAS, or “forever chemicals,” from its products, helping to protect the environment where you play and work.

KEEN discovered that the durable water repellency (DWR) treatments commonly used in outdoor apparel and footwear contain perfluorinated chemicals, or PFCs, and decided to “give them the boot.”

“We’ve estimated that we’ve collectively spent about 10,000 hours getting to where we are today,” the brand stated in a blog about the conservation process. “In that time, we’ve saved over 150 tons of fluorinated chemicals from being introduced into the environment.”

Adopting alternative technology and eliminating the use of DWR treatments in certain products helped KEEN reach their goal of preventing over 150 tons of fluorinated chemicals from being introduced into the environment.

“We realized we could stop using it on our non-waterproof styles, like our sandals,” said Chris Enlow, senior director of KEEN Effect, a team that guides the brand’s responsible manufacturing, advocacy, and philanthropy efforts. “We eliminated nearly 70 percent of our use of this class of chemistry without making any other changes.”

You can shop member-specific pricing on footwear such as the Women’s Terradora Waterproof Mid and Men’s Ridge Flex Waterproof Boot, knowing you’re getting high quality products that won’t harm the environment.